Sugar and Fatty Liver (click on image to enlarge)

Your liver can be damaged by something other than drinking too much alcohol - too much sugar!  While 40 grams of added sugar per day is a good limit for most people, the average American eats about 92 grams of sugar per day!  Watch as Dr. Alan Greene, Dr. Miriam Vos, and Dr. Oz discuss how too much sugar affects your liver in this video (to the right of Dr. Oz's picture in the link below).

http://www.sharecare.com/question/how-sugar-affects-the-liver

Breakfast Options

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Eating breakfast may reduce your hunger later in the day, which may make it easier to avoid overeating. When you skip breakfast, you may feel ravenous later and be tempted to reach for a quick fix — such as vending machine candy or doughnuts at the office.

In addition, the prolonged fasting that occurs when you skip breakfast can increase your body's insulin response, which in turn increases fat storage and weight gain. In fact, skipping breakfast actually increases your risk of obesity.  - Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D, The Mayo Clinic

For more information on how eating a healthy breakfast can help control weight check out

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01119

Click on "comments" below to post your go-to breakfast.

Choosing Dry Cereals

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I have noticed some of the cereals people have been posting have a lot of sugar.  If for example you eat a cereal with 10 grams of sugar, then this is 1/4 of your sugar allotment for the day.  Depending on what you eat the rest of the day, this could be quite a bit to have just for breakfast.  

Furthermore, while 3 grams of fiber is good, aim for cereals with 5 or more grams of fiber.  Bottom line:  More fiber - less added sugar!

For more information on what to look for in dry cereals check out ...

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/NU00197/NSECTIONGROUP=2

Your Go-to Activity

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Exercise is one of those rare things where the hype actually meets reality. Next to not smoking, getting regular physical activity is arguably the best thing you can do for your health. It lowers the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and certain cancers, and also can help control stress and boost mood. Plus, if moderate to vigorous, physical activity helps keep weight in check.

Best of all? It doesn’t take marathon training to see real health gains. A 30-minute brisk walk on five days of the week is all most people need.  - The Nutrition Source, Harvard School of Public Health

For more information on getting active check out ...

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/staying-active/

Click on "comments" below to post your go-to activity.

Sample 2900-kcal Meal Plan (Habit - Pay Attention)

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As stated in a previous entry, the average person needs around 2,000 calories a day.  Height, weight, gender, age and activity level all affect your caloric needs.

The sample 2900-calorie Meal Plan on the left would be high for most people, especially those trying to lose weight and keep it off.

To find out how many calories you need to lose weight check out the following weight-loss tool.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/NU00595


In the the Comments box, post one item that you could replace with a healthier item.

Sample 1600-kcal Meal Plan (Habit - Pay Attention)

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While the daily calorie requirements vary for different people, the average person needs around 2,000 calories a day.  Height, weight, gender, age and activity level all affect your caloric needs.

People who need to lose a significant amount of weight and keep it off, may need less.  In fact, members of the National Weight Control Registry - a group of people who have lost 30 lbs and kept if off for more than a year - consume around 1400 calories a day.

The Sample 1600-calorie Meal Plan would be an appropriate amount of food for a person who wants to lose a significant amount of weight and keep it off.  Focus on the kinds of foods offered and the reasonable portion sizes.


To find out how many calories you need to lose weight check out the following weight-loss tool.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/NU00595

Happy Holiday 2 (Habit - Water)

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Americans consume on average more than 200 calories each day from sugary drinks - four times what they consumed in 1965 - and strong evidence indicates that our rising thirst for “liquid candy” has been a major contributor to the obesity and diabetes epidemics.
-The Harvard Nutrition Source   

To read more about the negative impacts of sugar-sweetened beverages on the body check out ...

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/sugary-vs-diet-drinks/index.html

In the comments box below post one way you will get replace sugary beverages with water. 

Move To Burn (Habit - Exercise)

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Sticking to a regular exercise schedule isn't easy. After all, there are plenty of potential hindrances — time, boredom, injuries, self-confidence. But these issues don't need to stand in your way. Consider practical strategies for overcoming common barriers to fitness.

Barrier No. 1: I don't have enough time to exercise

Setting aside time to exercise can be a challenge. Use a little creativity to get the most out of your time.

• Squeeze in short walks throughout the day. If you don't have time for a full workout, don't sweat it. Shorter spurts of exercise, such as 10 minutes of walking spaced throughout the day, offer benefits too.
• Get up earlier. If your days are packed and the evening hours are just as hectic, get up 30 minutes earlier twice a week to exercise. Once you've adjusted to early-morning workouts, add another day or two to the routine.
• Drive less, walk more. Park in the back row of the parking lot or even a few blocks away and walk to your destination.
• Revamp your rituals. Your weekly Saturday matinee with the kids or your best friend could be reborn as your weekly Saturday bike ride, rock-climbing lesson or trip to the pool.

 - The Mayo Clinic

For more tips on overcoming common challenges to exercise check out ...

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fitness/SM00085_D

In the comments box below post one of the above tips that you will implement.

Sugar-Sweetend Beverages & Weight Gain 2

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There's convincing evidence that sugary drinks are one of the major determinants of obesity and diabetes, and emerging evidence that high consumption of sugary drinks increases the risk for heart disease, the number one killer of men and women in the U.S. 

We need to retrain America's palate away from sweet drinks—with  government, businesses, families, and individuals all working toward that goal. 

Beverage makers can offer consumers a greater choice of low-sugar beverages on the market. Individuals and families can modify their drinking habits. Schools, worksites, and government can take steps to promote a healthier drink environment. We must work together toward this worthy and urgent cause.

There are many options for what to drink, but without a doubt, water is the best choice: It's calorie-free, and it's as easy to find as the nearest tap.  
-The Harvard Nutrition Source 

To see six ideas for low-sugar drinks check out ...

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/low-sugar-drink-ideas/index.html

In the comments box below post one way you will replace sugary beverages with water. 

Fruit Drink vs 100% Fruit Juice vs Water & Fruit

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One-hundred-percent fruit juice has most of the nutrients of the fruit itself, but it usually delivers more calories. 

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends no more than one serving (4 ounces) of 100% fruit juice as part of the daily fruit intake. Fruit smoothies are usually very high in calories, and so aren't recommended as daily beverages. Vegetable juice is a lower calorie alternative to fruit juice, but may contain a lot of sodium.
-The Harvard Nutrition Source 

The Prairie Farms Orange drink in this image is a fruit drink, not a 100% fruit juice and is primarily sugar water.  Ideally, one would just drink plain water and have a piece of fruit on the side to get the added benefit of the fiber, which even 100% fruit juice does not contain.

To view Dr. Walter Willett, the chairman of the Dept. of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, discuss the evidence that sugary drinks are an important contributor to the epidemic rise of obesity and type 2 diabetes in the U.S. check out ...

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/healthy-drink-video/index.html 

In the the Comments box, post one way you will incorporate more water into your diet.